


this boy i see

by Pompomchan



Category: Mob Psycho 100
Genre: M/M, Mobu and unrequited love, Reigen being a selfish dick but, he's also very caring, he's falling for Mobu isn't he?, introspective, light manga spoilers, nothing to be afraid of, ritsu being overprotective younger brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 19:43:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7770538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pompomchan/pseuds/Pompomchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He grows old and watches Mobu grow up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	this boy i see

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT (18.10.2017) : 
> 
> Hellow lovelies. If you have subscribed to this work or read it or bookmarked it, I'm grateful for that. I'm glad you all love it so much to go so far. I know I'd said that it would maybe get a sequel, or rather a continuation, but I don't think it's all that much possible now? I went through a really rough phase this year and things sucked. So sorry. I hope you understand?? If the sequel would be ready, then it'll be posted. I'm sorry for handing out false hope!!!! 

_**this boy i see** _

 

(05.08.2016)

 

____________________________________________

 

He may be a crook, but he's not ungrateful.

 

He adds an extra 100¥ to Mobu's salary before first year of high school changes him. He grows taller, for one thing — his arms and legs filling out from time spent with the Body Improvement Club, no longer the skinny things they were at fifteen.   
These days when he comes by, he talks about a Tsubomi-chan from school with a voice so dreamy it could only have been cultivated from years of teenage pining.   
They are still not dating, Mobu informs him when he asks. Reigen, on his part, lets out a breath of relief. At least there's some hope left that Mobu will still be working for him.

 

"Well then!" he says jovially, flashing a grin at the boy and slapping his back. "You seem to be happy, so I think we can discuss this new case."   
"Yes" Mobu nods, smiling a bit, as he pulls out a folder from the drawer under his desk.

 

Time passes like that.   
He grows old and watches Mobu grow up.

 

It is a surprise that the boy still comes to him : sometimes asking for help with his studies, other times to ask how to confess to a girl.   
Sometimes they just sit and chat when there is no spirit to catch. Other times they run after tacky spirits and Reigen pretends he can still do something — hopes for that time when Mobu still believed he was a great psychic. But he gets tired now, now that he's old and all.   
Afterwards, he treats Mobu to ramen and watches from the corner of his eyes as the boy carefully chews his food. It's nothing, he tells himself.   
It means nothing.

 

The week Mobu turns seventeen, Reigen doubles his pay, because that is all he can afford now after the media scandal and everything. They get even fewer cases than they did before, but he is no more inclined towards cheating a boy half his age.   
Sometimes, he can still hear Mobu saying, "My master's true identity... He is a good person."   
He was never a particularly good man, nor did he ever claim to be. But now that Mobu knows everything and still holds him so high, he feels especially despicable.

 

So it should be easier to distance himself from the boy now, but really, it isn't. There are days when he finds himself gravitating towards Mobu — thinking about how kind he is, how he talks now, how his body has changed, how he smiles more now. How this boy he has been looking at has grown up so good without him noticing.   
Reigen feels sick with himself thinking so — lusting after a boy (a boy, he remembers with the rush of breath); nonetheless his hand grips the sheets tight as he comes, the memory of helmet-hair and soft smiles burnt into his eyelids.

 

Everything is fine for a while : he has a steady job, Mobu comes by on alternate days to chat, sometimes they solve cases, later they get takeout, on rare days they sit and read manga and share stories of their lives outside of this office that they're not supposed to.   
If he is honest with himself for once, Reigen would go as far as to say that he feels lighter inside, as if Mobu has slowly exorcised all the demons inside him like he does out during work.

 

He sits and thinks about his feelings for this kid and listens to him talk — about his parents, about his brother Ritsu who's finally gained his psychic power, about the bougainvilleas in his backyard that look so pretty in bloom, about a Tsubomi-chan who's even prettier.   
He feels something itch inside uncomfortably on hearing the girl's name, and without much thought, says, "I'll add 200¥ to your salary, Mobu, how's that?"   
Mobu looks impassive as ever, until his eyes slowly widen to indicate that he finally understands what is being said and replies, "That won't be necessary, Shishou."   
Reigen laughs, "Of course it is! You're such a hard worker!" and watches Mobu's cheeks stain red. He knows how money drives people and how he's doing it again — exploiting this boy for his selfish motives, but he wants Mobu close just for a little while longer, just until he's ready to let go, knowing that there still is someone who believes he can be anything good.

 

"So how about it?" he prods, leaning towards the boy.   
Mobu looks up at him through thick lashes, making him choke on his breath, and says, "Thank you, Shishou" and smiles as if this is the best thing that ever happened to him.

 

As it goes, everything seems fine for a long time, but that is the problem with this city, isn't it?   
When shit finally hits the fan, it does with a boom.   
It happens on a Friday — precisely on Mobu's eighteenth birthday. The spirit, once a psychic trained in telepathy, wreaks havoc in an old children's park, and Reigen doesn't call Mobu for backup until his purified salt is proved effective for shit.

 

"Where?" Mobu's tinny voice answers on the first ring and Reigen immediately knows that something is very much wrong. "The park near the level crossing" he answers and the line goes dead.   
When Mobu finally arrives, the spirit suddenly becomes quiet, too quiet, and the atmosphere settles around them.

 

"Aah.. young love" the spirit croons in its throaty voice. Reigen looks to where Mobu is standing, fists balled up and eyes downcast. "You thought she had finally accepted you..." the spirit says, drifting towards the boy and Reigen feels his throat close up.   
"Get away from him!" he screams at the mass of energy, moving to go help Mobu but a blast throws him across the field and crashing into the broken fountain.

 

"Did she tell you she doesn't feel the same about you? Hmm...? But look at you... Such handsome features... So much innocence... She couldn't have found someone better..."

 

Reigen groans from his place on the ground. It hurts really fuckin' bad, he probably has a cracked rib, but if he lets this go on, then something bad will happen. He doesn't want Mobu to lose control again, so he tries getting up, but the spirit turns towards him, grinning now, and trills, "Oh... You love him so... How could I miss this?"   
It freezes Reigen in his place as Mobu turns to follow the spirit's gaze, parting his lips to speak and Reigen doesn't know if this is good or bad before the spirit is saying into Mobu's ear, "Let me in, boy, and I will give you her."

 

"You cannot" is all Mobu says, before the ground starts shaking underneath them, wind whipping against skin as rocks break and start flying around.   
"Mobu!" Reigen screams over the roar of falling debris, stumbling towards this raging boy as best as he can. Any other time, he would have revelled in feeling Mobu's aura pushing against his skin, soothing and gentle as he cleanses away another lost soul, but not this time; not like this, when Mobu is lost himself.

 

A sharp burst of aura makes him stagger as blinding light fills the area around them. It stings his eyes, brings tears to the corner of his lids and he feels something trickle down his nose and knows it's blood. Still, he inches towards this boy — his precious boy, pushing against this overwhelming feeling to reach out to where Mobu might be and clasp a hand on a firm shoulder.   
"Stop!" he groans, "Mobu! You'll hurt someone!", grabbing at his ribs to lessen the pain. Another pulse of energy pushes at him, threatening to collapse his lungs and he falls on his knees, coughing up blood.   
"Darn it.... Mobu..." he tries one last time, wheezing as he tries his best to draw in breaths, "Stop... It hurts..."

 

The last thing he sees is Mobu's silhouette before he passes out.

 

**

 

His eyes feel sticky and raw when they flutter open and all he can see is blinding light.   
It takes quite a while to adjust to so much brightness, but when he does he knows some time has passed. He tries moving his fingers and they do, scraping against rough cotton underneath him. It's a hospital for sure because he can feel the tightness of bandages around his ribs, the sting of cannula pushed into a vein.

 

When he turns his head to the side he finds Mobu sitting beside the bed in his school uniform.   
"Mo—bu..." he croaks and sees the boy's eyes open wide, his lips parting to say, "Shishou."   
"What... water" he manages with his scratchy throat. Mobu pours water into a cup and hands it to him. He holds it with shaky hands and takes a sip, feeling his throat relax enough to form words. 

 

"What about the spirit?" he asks, fingers tightening on the cup.   
"It's gone" Mobu says, looking down at his feet.   
Reigen, once again, feels his throat close up. I did this to him, he thinks, and wants to clarify this shitty situation that shitty spirit put them in. He opens his mouth to say that it doesn't mean anything, but what comes out instead is, "How did you bring me here?"   
Mobu looks up, "Oh", smiles softly at him. "Ritsu helped me."   
"Your brother is here?"   
"He went out to bring some food."   
"Mobu—" he starts, concern spiking for this boy, "You shouldn't miss your meals."   
"I won't again" Mobu promises.

 

They sit in silence after that, but Ritsu doesn't come.   
"Did you confess to that girl?" Reigen finally gathers the courage to ask.   
"Oh, Tsubomi-chan" Mobu says, "She doesn't see me that way."   
Reigen suddenly feels a spike of disgust for this naïve girl and says impulsively, "Well, she doesn't know what she missed out on" and winks at the boy sitting next to his bed. Mobu's eyes become large as saucers at that and then he gives a small tentative smile.

 

And then —

 

"Shishou, do you love me?"

 

Reigen chokes on his water the very moment the doorknob turns, and Ritsu's head peeks in, and he knows he should pull away but hasn't he always been a little selfish, yet Mobu had stuck around him despite that.

 

"I—" he starts and watches Ritsu's eyes narrow to slits as he steps into the room threateningly, and then —

 

"I do."

 

~ finito ~

 

(15.08.2016)

 

____________________________________________

**Author's Note:**

> I will probably post just one more fic before I go off on a vacation (got mid-sems after all) and I think it's a Free! RinHaru drabble. Will be up in 2 days probably! So!


End file.
